Actually, what is true compassion? Who can say for sure? Each person's interpretation of the world and life differs. One person's treasure is another's poison. Using personal values to forcibly explain universal truth is inherently biased.
However, to control the Indigo Tribe, Thea had given them the right to choose, shown them another broader, more inclusive compassion. She still felt quite proud.
Abin Sur was already dead. Right or wrong, his views should become the past, replaced by more rational, healthier emotions.
Indigo-1 saluted Thea according to their tribal customs. Thea accepted calmly—this was her due. Nothing to be embarrassed about.
In a sense, she'd also liberated the Indigo Tribe, setting them on a broader, more positive path.
"Is this Abin Sur's meaning?" The elusive little old man jumped out from the tree shade, pointing at the assembled Indigo members and asking Thea.
Regarding this old man who'd never left his planet, wanting to rebel against the little blue Guardians purely out of friendship, Thea felt a trace of guilt. Then, recognizing it as compassionate emotion influencing her, she suppressed the guilt and insisted firmly:
"That's right. This is definitely what Abin Sur intended. This is his latest insight."
The old man had an epiphany and happily stood aside.
Actually, Thea wanted to ask the old man's name, but seeing he had no intention of introducing himself, she could only let it go. She waited a moment. Seeing the Indigo members had recovered their composure, she spoke up.
"Brothers and sisters, I've brought you true Indigo compassion. Next, there's one more thing that requires everyone's witness." Having spent many days together in the illusion, calling them brothers and sisters met no objection.
Thea then turned to commune with the Indigo central battery. This massive energy source was the first time they'd all seen it. Not knowing what secrets it held, they could only watch quietly.
Thea reconnected her spiritual power with Proselyte. She wanted to ask the young entity for something.
"A book...? I don't have any books here." The spiritual world's entity was confused, scratching its head with several tentacles.
"There definitely is one. Maybe there wasn't before, but the moment I mentioned a book, it must already exist. I'm certain—it should be in this central battery." Thea was absolutely sure. Green Lanterns had the Book of Oa, Yellow Lanterns had the Book of Parallax, Black Lanterns had the Book of the Dead—Indigo must have one too.
Only Abin Sur, who created the rings, didn't know this secret. His actual level hadn't reached the point of establishing an independent faction. He didn't dare contact the entity. He knew about the Green Lanterns' Book of Oa, but definitely didn't know each lantern corps had a book.
Having wielded the Book of Parallax for a long time and communicated with Parallax several times, Thea knew these rules inside and out.
"There definitely is one. Let's search." Thea coaxed the entity like coaxing a child. Young Proselyte rarely encountered someone willing to chat with it. Finding nothing disagreeable, it took this perhaps as a game and began searching earnestly.
Soon, young Proselyte made a new discovery, asking uncertainly: "Is this the book you mentioned?"
Thea's spiritual power was somewhat sluggish within the compassion emotion. After a while, she found Proselyte's location and scanned what it had found.
Square, could serve as a shield or table mat—this thick thing? No mistake, this was definitely the Indigo Book that never appeared in the original timeline.
She coaxed the entity into helping her bring it out. The Indigo members didn't know what she was doing. They only saw Thea lower her head for a few minutes. Then a surge of energy flashed skyward. Amid the brilliant light, an indigo book appeared in Thea's hands.
Thea examined it carefully a few times. Similar to her previous Book of Parallax, though the Book of Parallax could slow targets, this book's function was healing. As long as this book was present, it would heal surrounding allies every moment until the book's energy was exhausted.
A powerful battlefield aura? Thea glanced at it a few more times. Other functions were roughly similar—registering information, recording various events. She was most skilled at registering information. While the book bore no names yet, she quickly wrote her own name on the first line.
Thea didn't want to hold this book herself. The book's keeper couldn't be the same person as the corps leader—this was also one of the rules. Since she now controlled the Yellow Lanterns, the Book of Parallax went to Fiora.
"This book was born on Nok. Its name shall be the Book of Nok. Indigo-1, will you hold this book?" This was Thea's blatant scheme. To claim the leader position, she couldn't bypass Indigo-1. Going through such elaborate efforts to produce the book, her meaning was crystal clear.
The first Indigo ring contained much information. Thea estimated she knew the rule that leader and book couldn't be held by one person. Holding the book with both hands, she looked at Thea calmly.
Though Indigo-1's moral character had become saint-like, this didn't mean she'd become stupid. Even in the original timeline when brainwashed, her intellect still let her maneuver among the seven corps, playing Hal Jordan and others like a fiddle. Her intelligence was considerable. Now with brainwashing effects removed, her thinking was even more rational and profound.
"Where will you lead the Indigo Tribe?" Indigo-1 approached Thea. Instead of taking the book, she quietly asked a question.
Thea knew the other still harbored doubts. "I'll lead the Indigo Tribe through the Blackest Night. This is my guarantee. The Indigo Tribe should expand recruitment—those with kind hearts also need compassion."
Seeing Indigo-1 still hadn't decided, she added: "The Indigo Tribe should abandon the principle of seclusion. More and more people will join this family."
In Abin Sur's era, the Indigo Tribe was his secret force established to counter-attack Oa. Of course it had to follow secrecy principles. Now that was unnecessary. Call the Guardians careless or high-minded—they'd even turned a blind eye to the Yellow Lanterns, let alone the saint-like Indigo Tribe.
Even if they encountered Green Lanterns in the universe, with their sense of justice, they wouldn't trouble the compassionate Indigo members. They might even help.
As for the Guardians discovering this secret force's existence and possibly exhuming Abin Sur's grave—Thea felt that was unlikely. The little blue men had stripped away their emotions. They no longer felt anger.
You praised them—they weren't happy. You cursed them—they didn't get angry. Moreover, even if they did dig up Abin Sur's grave, what did that have to do with Thea?
The prospect of expanding the Indigo Tribe moved Indigo-1. She knew her own situation. Previously, the Indigo members were all notorious criminals with terrible reputations. If they appeared in the universe, they'd likely get chased down. You claim you've reformed? Who'd believe that!
As their leader, Indigo-1 didn't dare let everyone show themselves publicly.
But to say she didn't want to expand the Indigo Tribe—that would be slander. She thought about it day and night, even dreamed about it.